Carolina Panthers run defense must place Week 10 game in Daniel Jones' hands

Much good can be said about the Carolina Panthers' most recent win. From the emergence of young stars like Ja'Tavion Sanders, Jalen Coker, or Demani Richardson to the solid play of Brady Christensen and Cade Mays in more important roles.

However, one negative sticks out above all else for the Panthers. It's like an insurmountable obstacle on the quest to success.

The run defense.

Carolina Panthers run defense must pile pressure on Daniel Jones in Week 10

Alvin Kamara, a painfully familiar thorn in the Panthers' side, rushed for 155 yards on an average of over five yards per carry in Week 9. The kind of stats that would push most teams over the edge into victory.

It wasn't even the amount of yardage that was the main issue here. It was how that yardage was gained.

From the first play of the game, it was clear that the Panthers' defensive front was not up to the task of containing Kamara. The warning signs were evident after the veteran was able to trot down the field for 20 yards.

Why in the world the Saints forgot that the run game existed when inside the 20-yard line is anyone's guess. This was likely a contributing factor to the eventual firing of head coach Dennis Allen, but I digress.

Aside from a few key plays, the Panthers were incapable of shutting down Kamara. This is not a new problem. The team has allowed over 180 rushing yards on five separate occasions this season.

A lot of this issue comes down to injuries, with the likes of Derrick Brown and Shaq Thompson going down early in the campaign. It also comes down to a lack of preparedness by the front office in the offseason.

The Panthers do not have the quality depth to keep an opposing run game under control effectively. Even if you have players such as Jadeveon Clowney and Josey Jewell, there will be wear and tear eventually if they're forced to play every down.

Nothing can be done to solve this issue now as the trade deadline has come and gone. So where can the Panthers turn?

The simple answer is that the young talent on the team needs to improve. What better place to start that against a team that averages only 114 rushing yards a game?

This is not to say that it will be an easy task by any means. But being able to build some confidence against an opponent that doesn't have someone like Kamara to call upon should be taken advantage of.

Daring struggling quarterback Daniel Jones to beat you through the air is one of the best ways to beat this New York Giants team. There has to be at least a passable rush defense to accomplish this feat. It just remains to be seen if the Panthers can achieve this at the Allianz Arena in Germany.

This team has begun to slowly rise from the ashes. Another victory would go a long way to helping solidify a sense of pride in this organization again.

These two teams are in the same place. This contest will decide which one is trending up and which one needs yet another hard reset come the offseason.

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